Vancouver School Board adopts transgender policy amid protests

Vancouver School Board trustees adopted a controversial update to school policy on Monday supporting transgender students.
Amid a deeply divided audience, the board trustees voted 7-2 Monday night in favor of the amendments.
The policy update will allow transgender students to be addressed by the name that corresponds with their own gender identity and enable them to use washrooms of their choice or, in sex-segregated activities such as physical education, to be included in the group with which they identify.
The board has implemented a policy since 2004 supporting a positive learning environment for students and staff identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or transgender.
Vancouver School Board Chair Patti Bacchus said just before the vote that the consultation process for the motion was unprecedented.
"We heard personal stories from families about how important it was for their children to be supported. We heard from youth that had not been supported in their experience and how difficult that was," Bacchus said.
However, some parents think the school board may have gone too far and they should have a greater say. Some of them protested in front of the school board building for the past few days.